


Dawn City Asylum

by wintryEthereal



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Angel!Au, Demon!AU, F/M, Hero!AU, Possible Eventual Smut, Villain!AU, and then back to 0, first chapter has hero bios and a short introduction, goes from 0 to 100 real fast, long chapters, thank you for reading!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:14:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25099726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wintryEthereal/pseuds/wintryEthereal
Summary: The quintet of heroes, Stray Kids, began their careers four months ago and spent that time keeping the city's crime rate as low as possible. On February 8th, Han Jisung brutally kidnapped his girlfriend, Faith. As the Kids walked up to the town hall to discuss this with the mayor and police chief, wanted serial killer Lee Minho, reeking of death, told the Kids to come to the asylum at a specific time. Having no choice, the police and Kids walked into the trap...[ALSO POSTED ON WATTPAD AND TUMBLR BY AUTHOR UNDER PSEUDONYM wintryEthereal (Wattpad) @winteryethereal (Tumblr)]
Relationships: Bang Chan/Original Female Character(s), Han Jisung | Han/Original Female Character(s)





	1. Introduction + Hero Bios

This chapter is to help prevent confusion when the Kids are called by their hero names. An explanation of their powers has been included. Information related to the villains and another character are not included to prevent spoilers. There will be a chapter dedicated to these characters after the story. There may be a labelled chapter for smut. I am still debating this option. When I've decided, this statement will change.

I started this fic two months before GO生 era. I didn't have specific hair colours in mind for the boys then, but the vibes of GO生 matched perfectly, so now you can visualize things. (Praise be Hyunjin's long hair.) Secondly, I wasn't sure how to complete the climax of what is now the third chapter, during those two months. I dreaded the draft and might have touched it three times, just to peck at what I already had. Thanks to two moots on Twitter who let me write out a summary of the first chapter, what I had for the second chapter (I'll let you know what in the Villain Bios if you're curious, don't worry) and all the new stuff in their DMs. I copy-pasted what I had into my drafts, edited some of what came before then because the new material made everything _way_ better, and went on from there. 

Another moot gave me direction for chapter four after posting a voice-tweet about a nightmare she had during a nap. Prior to our conversation, it was going to be a rather eventless chapter, much like the first. A breath of fresh air for everyone. In part, this is still true. But part of me didn't want to be done with the villains, and what happened in that nightmare was just _too good_ to not utilize. So another thanks to that person! And thank _you_ , for choosing a longer fic rather than a bite-sized one.

**Bang Chan/Christopher:** Double Knock

 **Power:** manifests in his muscles, especially in his arms and legs. Is thought to be sourced from his thoughts and confidence in himself and his teammates. He has steel built into his armour to protect his knuckles, knees and in his footwear to protect his feet. He can throw a 45 kg. (100 lb.) object a distance of 500 meters. If he uses his power for longer than fifteen minutes, he becomes sore, especially in his arms, legs and back.

He has trouble sleeping while recovering and may only sleep for 3 hours in the first five days following a battle. His behaviour becomes noticeably more sensitive in the first three days, and he is known to cry from the pain. In addition, the vibration of his movements can set his guard off if he attacks something hard enough, and this can expose him to opponents.

 **Seo Changbin:** Prince BPM

 **Power:** manifests in a small scepter he can summon at will. Is thought to be garnered from his beauty, hence the title _'Prince'_. It _'feeds'_ off his body's health. He must ensure that his body is well-fed and hydrated when using his power. He can use his power for ten minutes and then must rest. If he feels fatigue for eight minutes without rest, he will faint and be unconscious for ten minutes, or slightly longer, and wake up famished and thirsty. 

The scepter emits ultra hot light from its crystal with a verbal command. Different commands determine the strength of the light. It has been noticed that rapping drastically increases the temperature of the beam. The temperature is comparable to that of a wildfire and is therefore unpredictable. The light can be strong enough to break through 200 meters (646 ft.) of ground. It can harm all living things but has no effect on non living things.

 **Hwang Hyunjin:** Ghost

 **Power:** manifests in a _dan geum_ that he carries with him. He is able to control it mid-air when either of his hands are positioned as if he was holding it. A small white aura surrounds the knife when it is being used. His wrists and arms can get sore from overuse of his power. Can _'weld'_ the _dan geum_ into his chest to unleash his full potential, in which he turns invisible for up to three minutes and leaves no scent or tracks. 

He has a magic trail detectable by the Kids, police chief and supernatural beings. While invisible, he can run up to 30 kilometres (19 miles) per hour, and his touch becomes his _dan geum_. If he were to run his hand along an opponent's body, they would not feel Hyunjin's hand but would, of course, feel their new wound. He is prone to motion sickness regardless of whether he uses his powers. This especially comes into effect when becoming invisible more than 5 times within the span of fifteen minutes. 

**Lee Yongbok/Felix:** Felix

 **Power:** manifests in cat-like nails that sprout from his fingertips, increased speed and acrobatic abilities. Naturally reacts to everything like a cat and frequently makes cat-like vocalizations. His nails are tough as diamonds and catch fire the faster and longer he is in motion. His freckles catch fire from extended periods of motion, and within a minute of his freckles catching fire, his entire body becomes enveloped in flames. His power creates an invisible shield so that he doesn't burn himself. 

The fire is a constant temperature of 350°F (177°C) but can reach a temperature of 450°F (232°C) with concentration or adrenaline. He can remain aflame for two minutes without feeling heat from his powers. He can use the full extent of his powers for seven minutes, then loses his flame as if he has been blown out like a candle and will be unconscious for ten to fifteen minutes. He becomes thirsty after being aflame for longer than two minutes.

 **Kim Seungmin:** Clover

 **Power:** manifests in 1-20 purple telekinetic rings depending on the size and mass of the object he is interacting with and in organism tactioception information transferals. This means that when he touches something that is/was alive and uses his power, he will learn about:

•The species, if the organism is an animal

•How old it is/was, if the organism is a plant or

•The primary physical and emotional feelings the subject has/had, if the organism is a human

The first and second rules can connect to the third rule if the item of interest was enchanted or touched by someone with magical powers. He can only detect traces of magic if the person who enchanted or touched the object did so ten minutes within him interacting with the object. He gets an intense headache from using his power for longer than six minutes. A nosebleed is his body's warning that he must stop using his powers soon, or else he will faint and be unconscious for five minutes.

 **Park Jinyoung:** (yes, this is _the_ JYP.) Police Chief of Dawn City 

**Power:** extrasensory perception (sixth sense). If he is within 100 meters (328 ft.) of a human or humanoid being that is using supernatural powers, he will feel vibrations in the air and be able to pinpoint where the user was located at the time. If he is overwhelmed by vibrations, he will have an extreme migraine and need to steady himself or sit down so that he doesn't fall. He is susceptible to blacking-out from exposure for up to eight minutes.


	2. A Fervid Greeting

**C** hris was watching the bacon and eggs cook as Seungmin and Changbin quietly watched TV when he heard his cell phone ring. He picked it up from the counter. Seeing the contact name and number, he answered. "Chris Bang speaking."

 _"Morning, Chris."_ Said police chief Jinyoung Park. _"I didn't wake you up, did I?"_

"No, sir. What's happening?"

_"If you tune into the news, you can find out. I recorded it for you, so you don't have to turn on the TV and wait for them to repeat the message."_

"Well," Chris looked over his shoulder. "A couple of the boys are watching a show right now, so that was awfully kind of you."

Jinyoung laughed. _"I'm sending it to you now. I expect you boys to be at the station by seven."_

"That shouldn't be a problem, sir."

_"Good. See you then, Double Knock."_

"Until then, sir." Chris ended the call, then stuffed his phone into his jeans. He turned around to face the living room and felt his phone vibrate; Chief Jinyoung had sent the video. "Changbin, Seungmin!" They glanced at their leader.

"Breakfast is ready. Come and fix your plates while I wake up Felix and Hyunjin. We need to be at city hall by seven." Said Chris.

"What happened?" Asked Changbin, stopping at the part of the counter closest to the living room as Chris came closer and Seungmin passed them to enter the kitchen.

"I don't know, but it's on the news." Chris paused beside the couch. Seungmin was busy making his plate. "Though, the chief _did_ just send me a video of the news report." Chris took out his phone, swiped to view the message, and held it out.

Changbin took it. "Thanks, hyung."

"Don't mention it. Be right back." Chris said, and Changbin nodded. Changbin set down the phone on the island and took a plate from the overhead cupboards as Seungmin sat at the island and played the video. Chris left the living room and skidded across the antiqued brown wooden floor that was also in the kitchen and upstairs hallway.

Unlike the white drywall of the entrance and upstairs areas, the living room had wallpaper that was red like a wilted rose and patterned like the fur of a tabby cat. Its carpet was tawny brown, and matching light absorbing curtains were distributed in every room of the house. The only other rooms that had carpet were the bedrooms, studio and dojo. The doors of Bang Manor were simple: white with silver door knobs. But the black front door had an elegant, translucent window arch at its top. Matching window panels were on either side of that door.

Chris grasped the wooden handrail that matched the floor. The banisters were black metal rods, the newels the same wood as the handrail. He jogged up and walked to the first door on his left. Chris knocked before entering and heard Felix mewl. Chris flicked on the light and watched the boy pull himself up and stretch his arms with a silent yawn.

The bedroom was full of stuffed animals of every size and smelled of laundry and Doritos, its walls white except for one. Most of the plushies were squished into the hammock that hung from the far left corner of the room and stretched across the far wall, while others were on the bookshelf that had no books, it and the closet with folding doors on the right wall, and more were on the floor near his bed. His bedding was black, the pillows and underside of the blanket crimson red. The wall his bed was horizontal to had a mural of a fiery plain with a mountain of gold and jewels surrounded by burning forest. A flaming sword stuck out from the treasure, and fiery lightning rained upon the scene from black clouds speckled with embers.

"Time to wake up, Felix. We've got a meeting at city hall in an hour. There's eggs and bacon in the kitchen. Changbin has my phone, so you can catch up on what's happening." Chris said.

"OK. Thanks." The boy mumbled, rubbing his eyes. Chris left the room, closing the door behind him. He continued rightwards and knocked on the third and final door on that side of the hall before opening the door and turning on the light.

Hyunjin's bedroom walls were white, and the farthest had black illustrations depicting a red eyed figure sitting at the edge of a rooftop, looking onto the city below. An identical figure stalked a lanky figure with yellow eyes wielding a bloody knife. Finally, the red eyed man stood above the crumpled body of the skinny man, the assassin's dripping red hidden blade visible from his left sleeve. Blood spilled from the corpse and splattered onto the wall, which was patterned like brick. Above these scenes was a mantra in red: I am not blind.

There was a shrine to the right side of the room with framed pictures of each of the Stray Kids, along with a closet with folding doors. The five white candles were unlit, and the tea cup was empty, spare for the specks of leaves. Chris smelled the mirth Hyunjin had burned and Hyunjin's scent of lemongrass. His bedding was black but wasn't as cozy looking as Felix's, the pillowcases striped black and white. Hyunjin let out a whine as he stirred.

"Hyunjin, we have to be at city hall in an hour. There's breakfast in the kitchen, and the Chief sent me a video of what's going on you can look at with Felix." Said Chris.

"OK, I'm coming." Replied Hyunjin. Chris nodded, then left the bedroom and closed the door. He went downstairs and heard Felix's door open. Felix, in a loose orange shirt and black pyjama pants, crossed the hall to the bathroom between Chris' and Changbin's rooms. The second bathroom was through the first door on the right wall of the living room, the studio and dojo doors following it, to the left.

As he passed through the living room, Chris saw the television had been turned off. Chris ran a hand along the arm of the black couch. The loveseat and recliner matched the couch, but the recliner was made of leather. The coffee table had a black wooden frame with a foggy glass surface. He observed the picture in a simple black frame that was above the electric fireplace, behind the loveseat and recliner. Posed formally in their hero suits with mayor Brandon Gorge and the police chief before a blue backdrop were the Stray Kids.

Chris recalled how nervous they were before they were declared heroes with real powers instead of vigilantes with gimmicks up their sleeves. He remembered how they cried on the nights leading up to that day, afraid they would be falsely accused and imprisoned just for acting upon what came naturally to them. There wasn't even a court hearing: just a meeting at the city hall where the press was allowed an audience. While there _were_ negative opinions, the general outlook of the public was loud enough for the city officials to properly analyse the evidence in front of them. This morning had a similar atmosphere, even though Chris hadn't seen the news report.

Changbin and Seungmin sat at the island. They each had a glass of orange juice. Chris met Changbin's eyes as he walked in. "Chan, this is pretty serious." Changbin said, tapping the cellphone that was face up on the counter. "You should really have a look at this."

"I will, Changbin." Replied Chris. "Let me fix my plate, and I'll do just that." Changbin gave a nod and stuffed his face with more bacon as Chan walked over and got a plate. He served himself, then sat beside Changbin and ate while he unlocked his phone and played the video.

The news anchor greeted the viewers and stated it was 6:00 o'clock, February 8, 2020. She said they would begin the news hour with breaking news. Residents of the Elizabeth Apartments had reported sounds of distress from the room next door to police around 3:15, that morning. (Chris heard Hyunjin come downstairs and briefly watched him enter the bathroom.) The victim was twenty year old Faith Lawson and the suspect her boyfriend, twenty one year old Han Jisung.

The neighbors who reported the kidnapping said the following to their news correspondent, some time after police arrived. (Felix entered the kitchen and said _'good_ _morning'_. Changbin and Seungmin answered him.) A middle aged husband and wife were shown with the male reporter outside of the apartments. (Felix got his plate and began to put food on it.)

The woman said they were awakened by Faith's sudden screaming. They heard Jisung tell Faith that she should _'Be still and quiet, and it won't be so bad.'_. The husband said that they heard the couple having intercourse, the night before. (Hyunjin came out of the bathroom and walked into the kitchen and greeted the boys, who responded. He got a plate and filled it as Felix sat beside Seungmin.)

When the reporter asked if Faith and Jisung had ever fought, the husband and wife said _'no'_ , that they seemed like a normal, happy couple. (Hyunjin took the empty stool beside Felix.) The video cut back to the newsroom. She said that the police had released censored photos of the crime scene and surveillance footage. She gave a graphic violence warning, then the video was played.

The camera in the lobby caught Jisung finishing his flight down the stairs, Faith over his shoulder. She was bound at her wrists and ankles with zip ties. Her forehead bled, an excessively large black bar edited to cover her wound. A copper coloured metal device with a detailed, key-like handle kept her mouth open. The outdoor camera showed a loitering black car. The driver opened the back door on the passenger side, then Jisung forced Faith in the backseat before entering behind her as slamming the door shut as the car sped away.

The reporter was shown again. She said that the car had arrived just minutes before Jisung was recorded fleeing the crime scene. The license plate of the vehicle had been captured, but the car hadn't been found. The screen swiped left to shows list of information about the car, driver, suspect and victim. Along with information already stated in the report, the woman said that the driver wore a copper coloured mask with an upside down cone shape carved into the forehead.

The anchor announced they would now show the photos. The scene was in the bedroom, the focus on the bed. The bedding was a mess, blood, saliva and urine on the sheets and pillows. The reporter said that police theorized that Jisung had woken Faith and struck her head with the device that was seen gagging her. The anchor stated that if anyone had any information on where the vehicle or Jisung had been after the kidnapping to contact the police as the number was shown at the bar at bottom of the screen. Then the video ended.

Chris blew hot air through his lips. "I'm surprised how much information the police released, but I guess they did it to warn the public." Seungmin and Hyunjin nodded, humming. "That's fucking scary." Everyone nodded and gave noises of agreement.

"Do you mind if I watch it again?" Asked Hyunjin. "I didn't see all of it."

"Of course." Chris answered, and pushed his phone into Hyunjin's hand. He played if again, Felix looking over to watch too. While the video played again, Seungmin rose from his stool, carried his plate to the sink and washed it.

"I wonder if this Jisung guy has a criminal record?" Pondered Seungmin.

"I guess we'll find out, when we get there." Replied Chris.

"He doesn't look like a criminal, at least." Commented Felix.

"That doesn't say anything about him, personality wise." Hyunjin said, as Seungmin seated himself again and Changbin rose to wash his plate. "Lots of bad people look unsuspicious."

"You make a point."

"Obviously, there's more going on than a simple kidnapping." Said Seungmin. "Whatever he used to subdue Faith with, it's some kind of medieval torture device."

"Yep yep," Replied Chris. "But it's nearly impossible to tell what it is, since we've only seen in use."

"I doubt the police have any guesses, either." Changbin said, returning to his chair. "And since we don't know where the car is, we'll have a harder time tracking them down."

"All we can do is find out what else the police know and do our best to find these guys and get Faith out of danger before it's too late." Chris said, and the other boys nodded. Soon enough, they all finished eating. Hyunjin volunteered to wash the dishes, so the boys went upstairs and into their room to change. While Seungmin's room was the third on the right side, Changbin's was first on the left and Chris' the second.

Chris' room had white walls, the left having posters of the Stray Kids illustrated like comic book characters by artists from a big comic book company. Individual portraits and group shots were scattered around the wall in an appealing way. Chris always chuckled when he looked upon certain posters. He had a lot of plushies in his his room, though not _nearly_ as many as Felix had. They were neatly displayed on a bookshelf that had some books, the shelf on the wall opposite of the poster wall. Chris' bed was vertical to the far wall, the closet next to the shelf.

Chris opened his closet and took his suit from within. He removed his steel blue pyjama top and black pyjama pants that had thin white lines to make a checked pattern. Chris stepped into the matte charcoal one-piece spandex enforced with a thin layer of cotton for comfort and a cowl collar. The pitch black kneepads and elbow guards were enforced with steel-every members' gear was. The biceps, thighs and each side of the rib cage had three glossy black, diagonal strips of fake alligator skin tipped like spikes.

Chris brought out his gauntlets, which were made with glossy black leather and had steel knuckles and backside. The gloves had the stripes from the one-piece, except these looped around to the bottom. Chris took out and put on a black leather belt that had two pouches on either side. Its buckle was matte silver and had the letters DKC in black. Chris found his black leather boots, which came up to the middle of his shins, had a polished finish and had steel toes and soles. The bottom of the shoes had very good grips and were well padded, so Chris was able to be sneaky, despite the steel components. Finally, Chris put on his black leather cape that went a couple of inches past his knees and was tied to the collar of his costume with a lumberman's knot.

Chris exited his bedroom and saw Felix's bedroom door was halfway open. He saw Changbin behind the younger boy, helping an audibly struggling Felix zip up his black leather, full length sleeved shirt with a straight band collar. Felix had black leather pants held up by a black leather belt with a simple golden buckle with a pouch on the back, and kneepads. He had black leather shoes with half inch heels and steel toes and black leather fingerless gloves with his palms exposed.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Cried Felix, reaching a hand back and bending backwards a little.

"Well, if you stopped moving every time I move the zipper a milometer, _you_ wouldn't be in pain and _I_ could actually do this, today! Aish!" Changbin bickered. "Now straighten up." Felix complied, still whining.

"I should be able to do this in one go if..." Changbin jerked at the zipper, grunting. Felix continued to whimper, and cringed up his face. "If... argh, come on."

"Changbin," Chris said, walking into the room as Changbin and Felix watched him come in. "Let me take care of it."

"Yes, thank you." Changbin said, stepping aside, shaking out his hands. His costume had a waist length cape over his right shoulder that was white with a royal blue underside. It had a golden stripe along the edge and was attached to Changbin by an elastic strap under his arm. His long sleeved blouse with a Peter Pan collar and his harem pants were royal blue with white cuffs, the shirt's buttons and the two decorative buttons on the crotch white. He wore white leather boots with a golden stripe over the folded top parts of the shoes.

Chris came up behind Felix and grabbed onto the zipper. "OK, when I say _'three'_ , suck in your guts."

"Wait, won't my shirt rip when I breathe out?" Felix replied, looking over his shoulder with doe eyes.

"If your powers are still working, no." Chris laughed, and so did Felix and Changbin. "Ready?"

"Yeah."

"OK: one... two... three!" Zip! Pop, crack!

"Aw," Felix said, right hand on his left shoulder as he rolled the joint and turned to look at his hyungs. "Did you guys hear that?"

Changbin and Chris chuckled, nodding. Chris said, "We did, yeah. You feeling alright, 'lix?"

"Yeah," Felix nodded. "I'm good. Ouch."

"Your breathing feels OK?"

"Yeah, feels fine, mate."

"OK, good!" Chris patted Felix's left shoulder, and Felix flinched, contorting his expression in reaction. "Sorry."

"You're fine..."

"Come on." Chris said, nodding to the exit. Felix gave a small nod as he and Changbin followed Chris out. Chris almost ran into Hyunjin, who was busy fiddling with the white cloth wrappings beneath his fingerless, black leather gloves. They jumped as Hyunjin's forearm brushed Chris'. Changbin and Felix stopped for a moment to take it what happened before continuing.

"Whoa! Sorry, Hyunjin." Said Chris, subconsciously raising his hand to gesture.

"It's fine, hyung." Hyunjin replied. "I wasn't looking where I was going." Hyunjin wore a sleeveless black shirt with a very low tuxedo collar that exposed the middle of his chest. It didn't take much movement for his nipples and toned but flat belly to be exposed. He wore black tights, black knee pads each with a tiny, four pointed white star, a belt with three pouches on his right hip, a _jedok_ _geom_ and _dan geom_ with black handles on the other, and lightweight, all black slip-on shoes.

Chris massaged Hyunjin's shoulder. "Ah, it's fine. Come on." Hyunjin nodded, then followed Chris downstairs. He heard Seungmin leave his room as they went. Once at the bottom of the stairs, Chris looked back to watch Seungmin descend.

His costume consisted of a plum purple jumpsuit with long sleeves and gold cuffs, and a cape that ended halfway down his back. The cape was held by a clasp shaped like a hickory brown clover outlined in gold, and hickory brown slip-on shoes. Seeing that Hyunjin was on his way, Chris proceeded to lead the group outside. They walked left, to the garage attached to the house. "Why are we going to the garage from outside instead of from the dojo?" Seungmin asked.

Chris laughed. "Oh yeah." Hyunjin and Felix laughed. "Oh well! We're outside now." They arrived at the garage door and Chris pressed the button on his keychain to open it. When it was up just enough, they ducked under it and dashed to the black van with their logo on both sides.

"It's so dark in here." Said Felix. Chris unlocked the car, and it honked as its headlights flashed.

As everyone climbed inside the vehicle, Seungmin said, "Aren't you basically—?"

"—Oh yeah." The car rumbled with laughter as the doors were closed and the boys buckled up.

"Man, you really aren't a morning person, are you, Felix?" Said Hyunjin, as Chris started the engine.

"No," Felix shook his head, still smiling. "I'm really not."

Chris pulled out of the garage as Changbin ruffled Felix's hair. Felix gave a cry of protest and reached for his hand. Even though Felix had it, Changbin didn't let up. "Ah, but you're still cute."

"Stooop, oh my God." Felix playfully thrashed in his seat, kicking Seungmin's seat.

"Ah! _You_ stop!" Seungmin shouted, reaching back to swipe at Felix's legs. As the Kids laughed, Felix pulled back his legs and swiped back.

—

Chris pulled into the curb in front of the police station. The lawn was littered with news reporters and camera men. "Oh yeah, the press is here."

"Of course they would be," Said Hyunjin, rather cheerfully. "This is the first time the city has called us for something like this."

Seungmin hummed. "The last time we came here under these kind of circumstances, we were finding out if we'd be allowed to be heroes, or not."

"We'd better get out there, guys." Chris said, turning off the ignition. "Let's go." The group left the van, Chris locking it once he saw everyone was out. Chris led the group up the gradual incline of the staircase, Changbin first behind him with the younger three close behind.

"Mr. Bang!" "Double Knock, sir!" "Excuse me, Mr. Bang!" The shouting voices of the reporters flooded the boys' ears as they marched forward. "Do you have any information about the suspect or his victim?" "Mr. Bang, do you have any insight on the case or the suspect's motive?" "Sir, do you believe that Stray Kids should be allowed to freely defend the city, as they currently do?"

The Kids weren't obligated to answer. In fact, they were legally prohibited from making any statement to the public without consent from the city. That didn't mean Chris didn't want to answer. He wanted to respond so they would stop asking the same questions time and again, but he couldn't, and that was just something he had to accept. It wasn't just to save face for the city or the police, it was to save face for the boys and to make sure no false information would be released. The media had been told this, four months ago, yet acted that their questions could be answered, or needed to be answered. It was one of the frustrating things about the job, and, today, it took a bit of effort for the boys to mute their voices.

The quintet were a little more than halfway to the doors of the building when Chris felt off. He stopped and looked among the crowd for something to click. "Chan hyung?" Said Hyunjin.

"Who... who called..." Chris muttered, Hyunjin and Changbin only hearing him because of how close they were to him.

"Who called _what_?" Changbin asked.

"That voice, where is...?" Chris' eyes flared open ever so slightly as he found a familiar face. "Minho." The boys easily found the handsome face of the man in the mint blue and white suit and held their breaths. His normally brown eyes were blood red and continually released a scentless black smoke.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Asked Chris. The voices and movements of the reporters fell to a hush as he spoke.

"Who is he talking to?" Inquired a woman.

"Ha, he _is_ a madman!" Exclaimed a male. "Go check into a mental ward, ya fucking lawless degen—"

"Hush!" Barked Hyunjin. "Let our leader do his job, please!"

"I don't know how you're making it so only we can see you," Chris said. A couple people murmured in wonder and doubt. "But I sure as hell know you're treading thin waters, Minho."

Minho drew out his breath as he inhaled through his teeth. To the surprise of the heroes, they were stained black. The smell of burned flesh slapped everyone within five feet instantly. The press reacted with nauseous expressions and sounds, stepping back or turning away to cough and hold in vomit. The Kids also turned to recover, but Chris swallowed the unfurling knot in his stomach and kept eye contact with Minho, refusing to show any sign of weakness to the serial killer.

"He's actually _here_?" A reporter said, her volume slightly lower than normal.

"Holy shit, what kind of power is _this_?!" Cried a male.

"Do you want me to answer what I'm doing here, or the secret to my new trick?" 

"Why are you here, Minho?" Demanded Chris.

Minho gave a small smile and folded his hands in front of his abdomen. "Faith is alive. Jisung and I would _love_ to—" Suddenly, the doors to the hall opened. Minho paused and let his hands fall to his side. Everyone watched the mayor and police chief come outside with a handful of officers.

Brandon had a friendly face and build and had a mauve tie with his light grey suit. Jinyoung looked familiar to a lot of people, but no one could quite put their finger on whom. He donned an all grey suit and his tie was matte silver. They had barely taken two steps when Jinyoung saw what what happening and put his arm in front of Brandon. The mayor stumbled back a bit, then gave a small gasp upon seeing what was before him. One of the officers whispered in Jinyoung's ear and received order 10-23.

"Hello, Mr. Gorge, Mr. Park." Greeted Minho, with a small wave. "Do I have permission to finish my explanation, or must I leave before I spill the wine necessary for the vines to grow?" Chris quirked an eyebrow and looked among his members, who also looked a bit puzzled.

Brandon and Jinyoung looked at each other. Brandon nodded. A moment later, so did Jinyoung. The police chief answered, "Go on, Minho. You have our attention."

"Thank you. So!" Minho clapped his hands, then folded his hands again. "Jisung and I would _love_ to meet you boys at the asylum, at 3:53 PM: no sooner, no later. If you open those doors early or one minute past the designated time, the ritual will not only fail and make the core of the Earth expand to the point of destroying the planet!" Minho laughed for two seconds, then his laughter cut short. "I'm kidding."

Chris said, "I was going to say, Minho—"

"—Ah ah ah!" Minho wiggled his finger warningly. "There will _still_ be a dire consequence for an early or late entry!"

"And what is that?"

"We'll be so upset that we can't free our girlfriend that we'll light the entire city on fire!" Minho flung his arms out side with a broad smile.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, seriously." Minho nodded. "Anyway," He sang, and ran a hand through his hair. "That's all you need to know."

"We expect the angels to show up and try to stop us. You'll probably see one within minutes of coming inside, and they'll probably help you, or at least try. We'll see. It'll be fun." He wiggled the fingers of one hand. "Have fun at the meeting, boys! Bye now!"

Minho threw his head back. Chris instinctively reached out, even though he didn't know what to expect. Minho fell backwards as a fiery magic circle appeared in the stone stairs with a deafening bang like a rife had been fired. The crowd screamed, cowered and flinched. Some of the police did, too. 

The Kids looked surprised but were able to find strength by looking at each other. Seungmin noticed the circle didn't erase the steps but wrapped around them and decided to remember that. A plethora of frostbitten arms with clawed fingers grabbed Minho and quickly pulled him through like he was a doll made of cloth. The circle disappeared with a bang, leaving no trace behind. More shrieks were given at the sound. As the people recovered, Chris turned his attention to the mayor and chief. His confident gaze was mirrored by Jinyoung.

"Come on, Kids." Said Jinyoung, directing their eyes to him. Nodding and shivering, the five quietly left the press alone.

—

Three watchtowers and small officer stations at their feet were lined up thirty feet apart in the middle of the Ocean, the one hundred by eighty foot lot that connected the four wings. They had female names in an attempt to make the asylum less dreary to inmates and visitors. The Ocean was boxed in by twenty feet tall, unpainted stone walls with steel walkways leading from one wing to the other. Steel stairs were in each corner. Six flower boxes of white and purple hyacinths were lined up outside the facilities and security stations. The boxes were blanketed in snow, but parts of the flowers peeked out from the cold powder.

Alicia was located east, serving as the residential and intensive care centre. She had three floors, the third being the underground intensive care level. Her ash white exterior was lined with vibrant red paint along the top and bottom, her roof grey. The clock tower in the left part of her body showed it was 3:48 in Roman numerals, a guarded platform below thirty feet above the ground. There was also a patrol on the level roof beside the clock.

Eva, the medical ward, was west. She looked identical to Alicia but had no clock tower and only had two floors. Sara, the entrance and parking lot, was north. The stone wall had a small weakness in the electric gate, but in case of an emergency, with the press of a button, three rows of spiked metal poles would thrust up from the ground. This security measure had yet to have been used, but it had been tested with a dummy driver and proven to be a viable asset.

Maria, the graveyard and garden, was south. There was no stone wall or electric fence where Maria met the Atlantic. The graveyard was neatly laid out to the west, the wooden benches and wide flowerbeds of more hyacinths to the east. There were ten headstones: four names belonged to patients from the first floor, and three belonged to patients from the second floor. Two belonged to stillborn children, though one hadn't been given a name but still had the name of her mother inscribed, and the tenth was that of the inmate who had murdered the three.

The police and Stray Kids had gathered at the asylum at two o'clock. Hyunjin was throwing his _dan geom_ at a sandbag near Alicia and pulling it back with the white glow of his powers. One could tell that his speed was a little faster than the pair of watching officers' eyes could keep up with. "Uh, that's 471...?" Said an officer whose surname was Walker, hesitantly.

"475," Hyunjin politely corrected, pausing his exercise with the weapon in his hand to look at him. "But you were close."

"It's getting awfully close to 3:53." Said the other officer, Bridges, gazing up at the clock as Hyunjin resumed his practice.

Walker nodded. "That it is. I wonder if Chief Park is going to call one last meeting to go over everything, again."

Hyunjin replied, "Probably not. We're playing with time and demons, here."

"That's true enough." Walker nodded. Hyunjin caught his _dan geom_ and sheathed it in one motion.

"I'm going to wait for the guys by the door." Said Hyunjin, resting his hands on his hips and looking from one man to the other, his eyes also drifting to the dozen officers standing by the doors. "Thanks for staying to watch, guys. Even if it got boring, after one hundred."

They both laughed. Bridges said, "Don't mention it, Ghost. We'll walk with you." Some ten feet behind them, Chris was delivering blows to the bags three officers were holding, alternating targets and how he attacked. 

He brought up one leg in a jump kick and pushed himself off the sac with the other, the officer who held the bag staggering as Chris was launched across the ways and landing ten quick stomps to the second bag, switching from foot to foot. The officer who held this bag was the best built of his peers, but he still needed to plant himself firmly into the ground to avoid being blown back at least five feet from Chris' power. Chris landed with a thump that had less impact on the beaten up earth because he wasn't wearing his own boots. His momentum boosted him rightwards, to the third bag. He pulled back his arms and whacked it upwards with his left arm, immediately followed by his right to make a _'double_ _knot'_. 

With a choked laugh, the man who held this bag stepped around a bit. "Oof!"

"You alright, Shorts?" Chris asked, relaxing his posture and rolling his right shoulder.

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. What a rush, ha ha ha!"

"Glad you're still having fun." Chris smiled and patted his left shoulder. "You sure you don't want to switch out?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I've only been here fifteen minutes, I can keep going."

"Daren," Said Johnson, the officer with the second bag. "You really should take a break." He looked behind him. "It's getting real close to that time, anyway."

Chris turned to look at the clock with the officers and raised his eyebrows. "Oh, damn! Guess it's time to gather everyone."

Shorts gave a nod to Alicia. "Ghost is already ahead of you." Chris and the other two men looked in her direction. Hyunjin gave Chris a wave, and Chris waved back.

"That he is!"

The third officer, Island, said, "Chief Park will probably call everyone over, in a mo—"

_"This if Chief Park to all officers in the DCA: please alert the Stray Kids to gather at the door and proceed to said destination. Two minutes and thirty seconds until entry. Over."_

"Yep." Said Johnson.

"Walk with us, Double Knock?" Said Island.

Chris gave a nod. "Of course." The four started their short walk and blended into Hyunjin and the two officers. "All warmed up, Hyunjin?" He nodded. "Good, good." Chris turned to watch out for whoever came next.

Seungmin and Changbin jogged over, Chief Jinyoung close behind with eight officers. Chris looked around the yard for Felix and scarcely saw him leap from the steel platform from the nearest watchtower and land hands first, the boy bounding forth like a cat until he was somewhat close to the others and then standing, shaking out his arms a little. "You alright, Felix?" Inquired Chris.

"Yeah, I'm fine. That wasn't _too_ high of a jump." Felix responded. Chris nodded.

"All right," The voice of the Chief drew everyone's attention. "I don't have time to go over every part of this operation in detail, but I don't need to. Remember to check your surroundings and be prepared to make split second decisions. So long as you follow protocol and keep your heads on your shoulders, all should go well, and, ideally, there should be no casualties."

"It _is_ likely there will be casualties, but it is our mission to minimize those numbers and save not just the patients and staff of the asylum, who are on lockdown, but to save the city from the evil threatening to burst from the schemes of Minho and Jisung. I'll be waiting out here, but know that I, along with every citizen of our city, will be with you in spirit." Jinyoung looked to an officer beside him. "Marley, how much time until _'go'_?"

"Twenty-three, twenty-one, twenty..." Counted the man, who held a cellphone. With amazing efficiency, the Stray Kids moved to the front of the mass, the police force behind them in four full columns and a fifth column that had vacant one spot. They marched forward, Marley walking behind them to continue his task. "Thirteen, twelve, eleven..."

Chris felt a pair of eyes staring at him and found the wavering eyes of Seungmin. "Ten, nine..." Chris discreetly moved his hand over Seungmin's and gently tapped his skin. "Eight, seven..." Seungmin swallowed and fumbled his fingers until he held Chris' hand.

"We'll be OK, Seungmin-ie, I promise." Chris muttered. His voice swayed the interest of the other Kids. Seungmin sniffled and nodded. Hyunjin stood on the other side of Seungmin, and he rubbed Seungmin's arm.

"Three, two, one, zero." Marley glanced up from the phone and nodded once to Chris. "Negative one—"

"Go, go!" Shouted Chief Jinyoung. Not wasting time, the group strode forward and entered the asylum. The decently decorated lobby had sky blue walls, a tacky grey carpet and cheap cushioned chairs. The secretary, like all staff outside of medical and security, had already evacuated. The far end of the room were glass sliding doors, emergency steel doors retracted into the wall.

As the force went through the doors and began to pass the huge holding cell on their left, a voice came from the radios of the officers. _"Dispatch to Adam, Boy, Charles and_ _David_ _: the city has not caught fire. Repeat: the city has not caught fire. Over."_

"That's the immediate danger out of the way, good." Said Chris with a heavy sigh, ensuring his voice could be heard by at least those directly behind him. The holding cell had steel white bars and benches against the far wall and mats on the concrete floor, which continued outside of the cell. The walkway to the white door at the end of the room had several windows that looked into the cafeteria on the right wall.

"What's the time?" Asked Changbin, who was to the right of Chris. Felix was at Changbin's right.

Alley, a female from the second row, answered, "3:53:42, forty-three..."

"It's still too early to be sure that the city is safe." Said Russell, a man from the fourth row.

"I agree." Replied Chris, the other boys and some of the men nodding. It took group about twenty-five seconds to arrive at the door. They stopped, and Seungmin stepped up to the door. He pressed his hands and his left ear to its surface.

"Clear." Seungmin stated. He stepped back into line and Chris took his place to open the door. He had almost put his hand on the doorknob when a spider leapt through the window, its bristles roughly touching Chris' right cheek. The spider flew over Chris' shoulder and landed on the ground.As several officers gasped and began to raise their handguns, only to realize it was just a spider, Chris pivoted and saw the tarantula wasn't moving.

"It's dead?" Chris said, questioningly.

Seungmin nodded. "Tarantulas can't survive long falls. They get hurt even if dropped from a foot high. Though some species are more aggressive, it is mostly because they are Old World species or because of mood. They are mostly harmless. Their bites can hurt, but..." He shook his head and crossed his arms. "They require humid habitats. How did this spider get here?"

"The Devil, probably." Answered Addison, an officer from the fifth row, and a handful of them laughed.

"That's probably not far from the truth, actually." Seungmin said, bobbing his head. He made eye contact with Chris. "Allow me to examine its corpse, before we move on."

"Of course, go ahead." Chris said, nodding. Seungmin gave a nod in response before kneeling before the creature. He gingerly poked it with a finger and sharply held his breath. His breath shuddered, and he swallowed loudly. "Seungmin?" The boy's torso jolted, his eyes whipping up to Chris' and then relaxing. "Talk to us, please."

"S-Sure. This is a South American Pink Toe." Seungmin carefully picked up the spider and turned it over in his hands as he got to his feet. He looked at his peers while speaking. "Its pink colour darkens into maturity, and they live from seven to nine years."

"They are arboreal, meaning they live in trees. This gave them the name Antilles tree spider. They grow up to six inches, and this adult female is _five_ inches. I noticed a strong magical presence from it, when it came through the window. It's gone now, but it stayed long enough for me to intercept how the sender felt, when it was created." Seungmin's eyes lowered. "It was Faith..."

"Wait, that means Jisung and Minho have already changed her." Felix said. "They've already won. So was the whole 3:53 PM thing just to lure us in?"

"Probably, yeah."

"It might not mean they've won, Felix." Said Changbin. "Just that they've done enough to make her able to do this." He pointed at the spider.

"What did you feel when you touched the spider, Seungmin-ie?" Asked Chris. 

"Intense throbbing pain where my jaw starts." Seungmin rubbed beneath his ears. "My tongue felt alienated and cold, like it had nothing around it. It felt like I had been crying for hours. I felt so helpless, so small and weak, unable to do anything but obey." 

"I'd like to find one of these alive, but I doubt I'll be that lucky. I feel as if something is hiding in our little friend." Seungmin turned his head to Felix. "Felix, would you mind—?" Felix widened his eyes and shook his head. Seungmin, Felix and Hyunjin laughed. Chris and Changbin joined, a few of the officers chuckling along.

"I'll do it, Seungmin." Hyunjin said, stepping closer and withdrawing his _dan geom_. He cautiously sliced open the spider, from its abdomen to its chelicerae. Its blood colour was normal, but scentless black smoke accompanied the liquid. When Hyunjin and Seungmin saw the smoke, their eyes flew open. Hyunjin took a hasteful step back, and Seungmin quickly put the spider down, keeping his face as far away from the spider as he could.

"I don't smell anything wrong with the smoke." Felix commented, shaking his head. "I _do_ see something that looks an awful lot like a crystal in the front part of its body, though."

"Do you want to get it?" Asked Seungmin. Felix froze up for a second, then shook his head. "I thought so." Seungmin crouched before the tarantula and carefully picked into its body with his fingers to extract the white object. He held it in two of his fingers and rolled it between them. "It sure _feels_ like a real crystal."

"Lemme see." Felix said, coming over to Seungmin, who moved the item into his palms. Felix touched it with one finger and rolled it around Seungmin's palm a little. "Yep, that's a real crystal. I'd ask if I could keep it, but I don't wanna be cursed, or something."

"I _do_ feel a faint magical aura from it," Seungmin said. "But it doesn't feel malicious. If anything, it feels malevolent. Might even be lucky. You can keep it on you for now if you want, Felix."

"Cool." Felix took the crystal and stored it in his pouch. He quietly added, "Yay!" Hearing him, Seungmin chuckled.

"OK, let's move on." Said Chris, as Seungmin stooped down and got a small plastic bag from one of his pouches. He shimmied the tarantula into it as everyone but Hyunjin moved on, and sealed the bag before standing, placing the spider in a different pocket before jogging to catch up with Hyunjin. Chris waited for them at the door, the officers acting upon their order to divide and investigate both ways the hall went. When they passed through, Chris began to pull the door closed, but was shocked to feel the door slam itself.

"Well, _that_ can't be good." Said Chris. Hyunjin and Seungmin laughed. "Come on, this way." He nodded to his right, and they hurried to return to the front of their group.


	3. For Nothing

**T** he corridor had white laminate specked with light beige and a tacky turquoise trim, the walls white and sparsely decorated. The doors were identical to the one that led into the area. There were no windows looking outside until the fourth door. The turquoise curtains were drawn open to view the snowy Ocean. Sometimes, while passing these first four rooms, the boys and officers peeked inside. 

The first and second floor housed low and medium risk patients. Two patients were asleep, and a third was curled up in their bed, shaking and crying. The nurse seated beside them on the bed quietly soothed the patient, rubbing their back and singing. A fourth sat in bed, quietly reading a book with a nurse who sat on the bed with them. Changbin looked behind him and stretched his neck, stopping his progress through the hall as the group passed the third bedroom. 

The police walked around Changbin, a couple glancing at him as they passed. Felix and Chris halted, seeing their friend had stopped moving. "I know it's our order to go as a group," Said Changbin. "But I can't help but think that the others might need us."

"It's unlikely, seeing as we're the ones going downstairs," Chris replied. "But I understand how you feel, Changbin."

Felix said, "They have their radios. If anything goes wrong, we'll know, all right?"

Changbin nodded. "Right. Sorry for holding us up, like this."

Chris patted his shoulder. "It's fine, mate. We understand. Come on, let's catch up." Changbin nodded again, then the three hustled to rejoin their group. After the first window was a long wall on the right hand side.

At the end of the corridor was a turquoise staircase, an elevator and a right turn. Five bedrooms were on the left side of the continued hallway, the nurse's station on the other side. Next to the door was a hallway and two more bedrooms. The hall ended with a vending machine. One of the officers had pressed the service button for the elevator. The group heard the machine climbing up the shaft. 

Suddenly, Seungmin snapped his head up from his loitering stare at the floor to the elevator door. "Something is in the elevator." He said. "Get back, get back."

"Get away!" Echoed Blossom. They hurried to distance themselves from the door.

"I have _no idea_ what's inside." Seungmin spat to the Kids.

"What does its energy feel like?" Hyunjin quickly asked.

Seungmin closed his eyes. "Wait, there are two beings inside. They're giving off different but similar magic signatures. Guys, one of them is—!" The elevator arrived, and the doors opened with a chime. Some of the police and Kids gasped at the sight.

To the left was a frail bodied, white humanoid with the head, legs and folded wings of a bird. Its hands were human with talon-like digits, and its eyes were covered by a white lace blindfold. It was six feet tall and wore a white tunic with a golden rope that had an empty leather hook for a weapon. Its hands were locked with those of the black, muscular humanoid with the head, legs and tail of a bull. It was naked and a foot taller than the other creature, its skin was brittle and its knuckles and claws resembled those of a lacertelia.

Hearing the humans, the creatures paused and looked. Recognizing and remembering the bird from the party, the Kids traded quick glances with each other. _'Angel!'_ Seungmin mouthed to Hyunjin and Changbin, who nodded. The bull bellowed and broke its contact with the bird to charge at officer Lambert. Shouting in surprise, Portman, Bridges and Walker fired at it. 

The bullets clanged against the demon's skin and were launched back into the nearby Lambert, Portman, Alley and Bridges. The officers shouted in pain as bullets penetrated their arms and legs. Walker was unfortunate enough to have a pair of bullets pass through his neck. The others were quick enough to cower and move before they could be injured by the returning fire. The elevator doors began to close. Nevada was closest to the elevator, so he slammed his hand on the button to keep the doors open. 

Chris glanced at the angel, which held gave a coo of distress. The monster pounced on Lambert and bit into his left arm, tearing it off and devouring it. The man screamed in agony and dropped his gun. Gay and pointed their weapons at the white being, which held its hands by its head but kept looking to the demon.

Chris decided he needed to take the initiative and said to the angel, "Please, help us!" The bird gave a short coo, then rushed forward, grabbed the behemoth by its waist and heaved it away from Lambert as the bull dug its claws into his other arm. The angel threw itself onto its back, the beast hollering and thrashing. Changbin, Seungmin and the officers went further into the hallways as two men carefully removed Lambert from where he laid. 

The bird slammed a hand onto the floor. With the bang of a rifle, a fiery magic circle that burned and frostbitten hands sprang from appeared beneath it. The bull broke free before its rival could reach its arm back around its hulking body. The bird gave a shrill cry and began to rise to its feet. The beast roared and lunged forward to attack the man he had been feasting on. 

Seungmin stepped forward and reached out his arms. Five purple rings of light enveloped the monster's torso, humming emitting from the rings. Seungmin yanked his arms to his chest, and as the screaming demon whipped its arms to grasp something, it was pulled towards Seungmin in the air. The angel reached up and caught the bull's legs. The bird gave a call that sounded as much like a song as it did a war cry. Seungmin's eyes flew open, understanding the bird, and rested his arms to stop his powers.

The bird and bull were pulled into the circle, the bird giving a shout of triumph and the bull crying out in what sounded like pain as its body disintegrated. The circle disappeared with a bang, and the humans took a second to collect themselves. "We need to get you outside and to the hospital." Nevada said to Lambert, who nodded a little. He was evidently struggling to keep himself awake, much less from constantly crying in pain.

"I'll call us in." Said officer Gay. "Johnson and Ulysses have Alley and Bridges. I'll take Portman."

"We'll carry Walker out." Tailor said, he and Evelyn standing over the dead officer. 

"Very well." Dance nodded, then the group hurried away.

"Holy shit." Said Fort, one of the remaining officers. "That was intense."

"That's eleven of us gone, already." Said the other, Captain Dance.

"We could wait here for those six," Said Hyunjin. "And then we'll only be four down."

"Good idea, Ghost." Fort replied.

"That's a hell of a way to confirm what we're dealing with, here." Said Dance.

 _"Charlie and David to Dispatch, Adam and Boy: the south wing of the facility is clear. Repeat: the south wing is clear. Over."_ Said a voice on the radio.

Chris gave a low whistle to call the boys in for a huddle. One of the officers was obligated to listen, standing outside of the circle. Fort filled in this position. "OK, so _that_ was a taste of what's to come." Said Chris.

_"Dispatch to Charlie and David, understood. Adam and Boy, what is your status? Over."_

"We're in trouble." Said Felix.

"If we stick to our routines and work together, we should be all right." Said Changbin. The other boys nodded, but Seungmin was dormant.

Dance replied, "Adam and Boy to Dispatch: we have had contact with one hostile entity and one, uh..." He looked at Seungmin, who was looking around to sort his thoughts. Seungmin shrugged and looked at Chris, who shrugged to the officer in a more exaggerated fashion.

"You OK, Seungmin-ie?" Chris inquired.

"One other unknown, possibly friendly entity. Four of us are injured, one dead from ricocheted bullets. Six of us are coming out with the wounded and casualty as we speak. Over."

"I just have the worst feeling about all of this, Chan." Said Seungmin, his voice shaking. His body began to shiver. Chris pulled the boy in for a hug, and Seungmin was barely keeping himself from crying.

The police chief said, _"Dispatch to Adam and Boy: where_ _are_ _you? And what happened? Over."_

"Sh, Seungmin. I've got you." Chris whispered, patting the boys' head. Seungmin's body heaved. Hyunjin and Changbin came in to hug Seungmin, and so did Felix.

"Adam and Boy to Dispatch: we are at the northern wing, in front of the elevator..."

Seungmin nodded a little looked up into Chris' face. "You good, now?" He nodded again, this time more confidently. "Good. We'll do this together, all right?"

"Yeah. Right." Seungmin replied.

"Our experience means we aren't going in with our hands tied," Said Changbin. "But with what we just saw, we have _no idea_ what else we're up against."

"Yeah," Felix said. "We _do_ have a lot of advantages, but what's down there—" He looked over his right shoulder to the elevator. "—Is just so mysterious and dangerous. I feel what Seungmin is feeling." He wrapped his arms around himself and swept his eyes along the floor. "I hate this, already."

"I think we _all_ hate this, Felix." Chris responded. "You're right, it's going to be scary, down there. Our job won't be easy. But we have our colleagues here to help us however they can."

He looked at the officers. They each gave a reassuring nod. Chris placed his hands on Felix's shoulders. "We _will_ bring Minho and Jisung to justice, and Faith will be fine. Just like us, if we just don't panic."

"So, we just make sure our friends don't shoot at any more demons, and we'll be fine?" Said Changbin. Chris, Hyunjin and the nearby officer chuckled.

"Pretty much, yeah." Replied Chris.

"Is everyone feeling better, now?" Chris asked. "Ready for the big reveal?" All of the boys nodded.

"Good." Chris said, nodding. "Want to cheer for good measure?"

"Yeah." Answered Seungmin, Hyunjin and Felix, Changbin nodding.

The five got into position, struck their pose and declared, "Step out! We are Stray Kids!" Then they applauded and hollered for themselves, high-fiving each other as the officers cheered, the energy of the boys contagious.

The female voice returned. _"Dispatch to Adam, Boy, Charlie and David: please rendezvous at the elevator to the third level of Alicia to proceed with the men you sent our way with the injured. Over."_

"Guess we'd better get back into formation." Said Felix, glancing at the officers in their area as marching steps came from the southern end of the corridor.

_"Charlie and David to Dispatch: understood. We're on our way. Over."_

"Yep yep." Replied Chris. They gathered with the officers in front of the elevator.

"Adam and Boy to Charlie, David and Dispatch: understood. Over." Said the officer. He blew air through his lips after releasing the button.

"You good, Captain?" Asked Chris.

He nodded. "Yeah, fine. Thanks, Chan."

Fort looked over the heroes. "They sure are coming in a hurry."

"All of them?" Dance questioned.

"Yeah: Charlie, David and our own guys."

"Good. We shouldn't waste any more time." Soon, the twelve members of Charlie and David and the six of Adam and Charlie joined the Kids and two officers. "Dispatch, this is Dance: all have arrived. Over."

 _"Dispatch to Dance: understood. Over."_ Changbin pressed the elevator service button. Moments later, the lift arrived, and the Kids, Captain Dance and Marley entered. Changbin hit the button inside the elevator, and the machine's doors shut. They descended, and the doors opened to view a small lobby.

The flooring was unpainted concrete, and the bare white drywall and trim added to the brightly lit atmosphere in a unfriendly manner. Two pairs of backless wooden benches were in front of a walled-in desk area with a long window that had a space for objects to be slid beneath. The hall attached to the room was south bound, and after the four doors before them was a crossroads. As they moved into the room, Dance spoke into his radio. "To all officers upstairs: the Stray Kids plus Dance and Marley have arrived at the lower floor. Area is clear. Over."

Looking ahead, Changbin and Chris gave each other faces of puzzlement. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Chris said.

"You mean the footprints burned into the floor?" Replied Changbin, nodding twice. "Yeah, I see them."

 _"Adam, Boy, Charlie and David to the boys downstairs: understood."_ Answered a male officer from the first floor.

"Wonder if they belong to a demon." Marley said to Changbin and Chris.

Changbin said, "No, they look human."

"They do, yeah." Chris replied. Within a minute, the remaining fifteen officers came to the basement.

"Adam, Boy, Charlie and David to Dispatch: all have arrived safely. Over." Said Captain Dance.

 _"Dispatch to Adam, Boy, Charlie and David: understood. Proceed to the intensive care unit. Take care down there. Over."_ The assembly advanced into the hallway. The officers in the row behind the boys who were closest to the wall peeked into the rooms as they passed them.

"Orval reporting: Kang Jongwoo is present in his cell and is laying on his back in his bed, reading his Bible. Over." The officer on the right radioed.

"They might be the prints of something that has human feet, or made their feet look human." Replied Seungmin.

"Weaver reporting: Chevy Mars is present in his cell and is humming to himself while sitting on his bed. Over." Said the other male officer.

"You make a good point, Seungmin-ie." Said Chris.

"Orval reporting: Spencer Hall is present in his cell, laying in his bed, doing nothing. He appears to be asleep. Over."

Jinyoung's voice was back on the radio. _"Dispatch to Orval: please have one officer speak to Hall to confirm his activity. Over."_ Everyone paused. The Kids looked among the officers as they did themselves. The woman from the third row raised her hand.

"I'll stay." She said.

"Are you sure, Chance?" Replied Gay. Chance's surname tag was Reed.

She nodded. "I'm sure. It'll only take a moment, anyway."

"I'll stay outside in case you need help." He said. Chance nodded, then she and the other officer entered the bedroom.

A third officer said, "Dispatch, this is Jameson. Maxwell and Reed have followed orders to inspect Hall. Over."

The woman replied, _"Dispatch to Jameson: understood. Over."_

"Let's move!" Said Vale, a male officer from the fifth row. The twenty-three people continued.

Orval looked into the final room before the junction. "Orval reporting: Mitchell Schneider is present in his room, painting a... hold on. Kids, get a look at this." He said, and stepped closer to the window to view the mural on the left wall of the room. The group stopped, again. Mitchell's arm stroked the same place endlessly, his face inches away from the wall.

_"Dispatch to Orval, what are you seeing? Over."_

Orval stepped aside for Seungmin to see. "It appears to be a nude woman missing her jaw, and she's covered in blood."

"It's Faith, again." Seungmin finished. Orval gave him an astonished look and subconsciously let go of the button on his radio. The three officers exited Hall's room. "Sorry to interrupt."

 _"Dispatch to Orval: was that one of the Kids, just now? Over."_ Jinyoung said.

"Orval to Dispatch: yes, that was Clover. Would you like him to describe the painting? Over."

 _"Dispatch to Orval: yes. Give radio access to Clover, please. Over."_ Said the chief. Officer Orval unhooked his radio from his pocket and gave it to Seungmin.

Seungmin pressed the button on the radio. "Clover to Dispatch: the woman is short, around four feet tall. Schneider didn't use any other colours than black, red, purple and a small amount of dark pink. Her torso, especially her chest and collar bones, are covered in blood. Her thighs are bruised, and, as Orval noted, her jaw is missing. Her eyes are blacked out. Over."

About fifteen seconds passed, then Jinyoung's voice returned. "Dispatch to Clover and Orval: Schneider was committed for schizophrenia. He may have been affected by what's going on. Over." 

"Clover to Dispatch: I agree. I think Schneider might be trying to tell us what to expect, if our enemy succeeds. Over."

_"Dispatch to Clover: Thank you. To all: Please move on and report on what else you find. Over."_

"Thanks, Orval." Seungmin said with a smile.

"No problem, Clover." The officer smiled back. 

"Oh, wait." Seungmin turned to Chris. "Should I tell Dispatch about the spider we encountered?"

"That's a good idea." Chris answered. "We'll go on a little further, without you. Check on the other patients."

Seungmin nodded, then said into the radio, "Dispatch, this is Clover. I'd like to report on something we found earlier but neglected to report on due to our mission priorities. Permission to debrief? Over." Hyunjin and Chris went down the left path with half of the officers, besides the one whose radio Seungmin was using, while Felix and Changbin went the other way.

The woman replied, _"Dispatch to Clover: permission granted."_

"Dispatch is busy with Seungmin," Said Hyunjin. "So we'll have to wait to report on what's down here."

"And for us to report on Hall." Said Jameson.

"How was he, by the way? Fine, right?"

Jameson nodded. "Yeah, he was sleeping."

"That's good." Chris commented. "Everyone seems fine this way."

"I'm impressed." Said officer Cruise. "I thought more of them would have reacted like Schneider."

"It's good that no one else has." Said Shorts.

Cruise said, "At least, on _this_ end of the—"

"Everyone! Come and look! We found something!" Hyunjin called. Along with the group who had gone down the eastern way who turned around and hustled to join the others, Seungmin and Orval glanced and watched Russell, a male officer, and Vale enter the third door on the left.

"It was obvious the footprints came from here—" Said Maxwell.

"—Holy hell." Remarked Vale.

"—But we had to check the other rooms, anyway."

"We have casualties, here." Said Russell.

 _"Dispatch to Clover: understood. Thank you for your report. You are free to continue. Over."_ Said the woman. Dance entered the room, so Russell and Vale stepped aside.

The metal bed attached to the wall right of the door was scorched. The white mattress was blown to shreds, and a massive black ring was burned into the walls and floor near the left side of the bedding. Two nurses laid within the ring, their clothes and hair burned away and their skin pitch black. "Damn." Dance muttered. "If this is any kind of sign as to what's in the morgue..."

"There's no way we're ready for it." Said Tailor.

"You guys will be behind us," Said Changbin. "We'll get the worst of whatever's inside."

Maxwell said, "But if demons can make portals like that... _angel_ could, they could come up from behind us."

"Jesus, Chance." Said Johnson.

"Sorry. It's just speculation so we aren't _totally_ surprised."

"Maxwell has a point." Chris said. "There's a possibility that the back row will be ambushed. Maybe half of us Kids should go to the back."

"I like that idea." Dance said, nodding.

"I'd be willing to go in the back." Said Felix.

"Me too." Seungmin added.

Dance nodded more. "All right. Why don't you all go wait outside the morgue while I report this?" Some of the officers and Kids nodded, then they backtracked to the main direction of the hall. "Dance to Dispatch: we have found casualties in the residence of Yang Jeongin."

Chris halted abruptly and made eye contact with Gay, Island and Weaver, who were closest to him. "J-Jeongin? That was his room? I thought he was rooming upstairs." His eyes glossed over, on the brink of crying.

Blossom stepped closer, nodding as she raised her head. "His condition worsened. The doctors had to put him down here." The assembly came to a stop some ten feet away from the steel doors of the morgue. "You remember when you Kids set out to save Woojin from Minho, when all of this started?"

"Yeah." Chris whispered, breaking eye contact with Blossom.

"That was... the night that changed our lives." Mumbled Felix. He sniffled and shuffled around so he faced the wall. Changbin stepped close to him and rubbed his back.

"I thought Jeongin came out of the party powerless?" Said Hyunjin.

"Apparently he didn't." Blossom said. "I guess Minho and Jisung brought it out of Jeongin. I was saying that this might be connected to the party." Dance joined the group.

"It must be." Said Hyunjin. "The hosts were looking to summon demons 'cause they were nuts, and they succeeded."

Felix said, "Remember how after the angels helped us and gave us our powers, they said that if the demons came back, or if Minho became too much of a problem, they'd come to help?"

"Yeah, of course."

"I guess they held up on their promise." Said Chris.

"All right," Dance said. "Let's get into position, everyone." Several officers sniffled and coughed as the people moved around to reform the lines.

"It sure is quiet, in there." Said Addison.

"I'll open the doors with my powers." Seungmin stated, looking to Chris and Dance. They both nodded. Seungmin raised his arms at chest level, palms towards the doors. He pushed his arms forward and the doors opened one centimetre. They flung outwards as the area exploded in a flash of white heat.

Chris shut his eyes and groaned. His ears were blasted with wind and screams behind him that were cut short. He collapsed and blacked out. He opened his eyes some time later. His ears rang as he looked around him. 

The officers were skeletons and scraps of clothing on the ground. Small parts of the floor of the basement were intact, but the building had been reduced to rubble that formed ugly obstacles in the crater. Chris distinguished the roofs of the other buildings and hoped the police chief and other officers weren't dead or injured. The ringing in his ears transitioned to the grunts and yells of Changbin, Hyunjin, Seungmin and Felix fighting, the screams of a young woman in pain, and of sirens in the distance. There were voices from behind a wall of rubble beside him, to the west. The police were picking away at the ruins. Chris then knew that some of the police were alive. He hoped Chief Park was with them. 

Chris closed his eyes, too dazed to think of anything more. He let out a broken cry at the thought of how the officers and everyone in the buildings had been killed _just like that_. They had come for nothing. But killed by who? Jisung? Minho? 

"No," His eyes peered open, not focusing on anything and recalling the burned footprints in the hallway. He cleaned his mouth with the back of one hand. "Jeongin. Jeongin was behind the door. He did this."

Chris wiped the moisture from his eyes with his other hand. Chris he felt a hand softly rest on his left shoulder. He swiveled his head and saw Changbin kneeling behind him. Changbin carefully looked into his leader's eyes. "Good to see you're up, Chan. We need your help." 

"Sounds like it. How long was I out?"

"A little more than two minutes. You won't believe how many demons we had to dance around with to keep them from stepping on you. It was intense shit. I told the others to keep the last swarm of flies away from us so I could chat with you. We noticed that if we don't talk to Minho, he doesn't bring out more demons."

Chris glanced over Changbin's shoulder to watch. The dog sized flies demons with eyes the size of dodgeballs were disgusting to look at. There was a few more than a dozen of them. Hyunjin darted around, slashing several with his _dan geum_ until they fell to the ground dead, and Felix kicked and back-handed one that lost flight moments later. Felix stomped the demon to death and made a noise of disgust at the thick red blood on his shoe. Seungmin was throwing flies at the western wall with his powers, keeping back five feet. One of the four he was playing with died while Chris watched. 

"They're doing pretty good." Said Chris. "You feeling all right?" He pointed at Changbin's two foot long royal blue scepter with a gold speckled diamond the size of a plum core that Changbin loosely held in one hand. "I imagine you've used your beauty a lot, already."

Changbin frowned. "I'm feeling a bit faint, yeah. Nice thing about chatting with you is that my body gets a break. My water bottle was eaten by a demon after I summoned it, though." 

"Oh no!" Chris laughed. Changbin laughed, too.

"Uh, what else... oh! Hyunjin used his invisibility, when Jeongin blew everything up, and he saw Jeongin sink into the floor in a fiery magic circle. When the light cleared, we saw the black dome Jisung and Faith are in. It was..." Changbin glanced aside for a moment. "Hard, watching them die. Seungmin and Felix threw up."

Chris clicked his tongue and pouted. "Aw, I need to give them a hug, when we get home. Need to give you _all_ a hug." Changbin blew air from his nose with a little smile. 

Minho said, "You guys are done with those, already? Want some more to play with?" 

Chris exclaimed, "Wait, no!" Minho turned his palms down, and five magic circles appeared on the ground.

"I guess I'll explain the rest later." Changbin said. Chris laughed. "Let me help you up." Changbin rose to his feet and gave Chris his hand. 

Chris was pulled to his feet, then he shook his head and huffed, bouncing in place and rolling his shoulders to warm up his joints. He felt better, even though the area stank of an oily aroma he could only assume was demon blood. He felt his powers swelling in his muscles. Chris met his friend's fearless eyes with his own. Changbin nodded, then ran to the other Kids with his scepter raised above his head. 

"Shining Beat Beam!" The core heated up with white light, and Changbin lowered his arm and spun around towards the five demons the other Kids were fighting. A thick beam of light spewed from the scepter and burned into the furry skin of the two nearest demons, resembling black rams. The magic tore through their middles, sawing them in half. The top halves slid onto the ground and turned to ash, the lower halves disintegrating as the knees moved towards the ground like jello. 

The other monsters gave war cries and turned to charge Changbin, who flew past them and took his place beside Hyunjin. Hyunjin threw his _dan geum_ into the neck of the red and black hyena demon in front them. Its body shook while trying to grab the knife. Seungmin and Changbin each grabbed an arm of the two remaining demons and threw them as far away from Hyunjin as possible. The hyena was jumpy, likely because the weapon hit a nerve. Hyunjin sprang onto the demon, holding its fur, and jabbed the _dan geum_ into different parts of the monster's flesh. 

The demon's legs buckled, then Hyunjin tore his knife around its throat with such force that its head popped off and landed behind it. Hyunjin let go of the corpse and took a step back as it turned to ash. He looked to either side of him while catching his breath. Changbin and Felix stood by the disappearing pink and black leopard demon, a hole in its gut and its face an eyeless mess. Seungmin and Chris had dealt with the green and black tiger, its limbs grossly broken and its torso torn open like curtains.

"You guys are gross." Hyunjin said.

Felix replied, "Not _our_ fault these guys are squishy on the inside."

"Done with those, too?" Minho said. "Jisung, do you need more time?" He looked at the dome for a second, then nodded with a hum.

Chris said, "Minho, wait—"

Minho pouted. "Oh, but you look bored." He smirked. "Let me give you something _bigger_ to chew on." He pivoted and placed his left palm on top of his right hand. "Brachyura, come play with us!" 

A magic circle with a radius comparable to that of a monster truck's tire appeared on the ground behind Minho, to his left. A massive, dark red crab demon shot out of the circle high into the air. The rubble it landed on broke instantly. It loitered, its creepy eyes baring down on the kids.

"That thing's _at least_ ten feet tall." Said Seungmin.

"It is," Minho yawned, not covering his mouth. "I'll let it target... two of you, and the rest it'll ignore. I'm tired, so that's the last freak you have to play with, for a while."

"What happens if we try to come close to you?" Chris asked.

"Did Changbin not tell you, while you were having your little chat?"

"No, you sent out more demons before he could finish explaining things."

"Well, if you come within five feet of me," Minho threw his arm to the side, and an iron device materialized in his hand. "I'll throw my favourite toy at you." Chris didn't need to ask if that was a Scavenger's Daughter. It looked like what Changbin had described, and he figured that if he asked, Minho would throw it at him. 

How would they get it off, if they had no key for the locks? Would Changbin be able to break it with his scepter's beam? Or Seungmin, with his telekinesis? It was best to move on. "OK, fair enough. Give us a second to talk it over, please?"

"Sure. No time limit. I'm not _that_ mean. I'll be talking with the angels, so don't worry about me overhearing or spying on you." Minho said. The Kids scrambled into a huddle.

"OK, that thing's gonna be _fast_." Said Chris. "Its shell is probably too strong for Hyunjin's _dan geum_ , and it's going to be moving too fast for you, Seungmin, to seize with your telekinesis."

"It's a crab, so it oughta be weak to heat." Changbin moved the hand he held his scepter with.

"Probably. But it'll be moving too fast for you to get a good shot."

"Yeah. I might end up blasting into the crater or at the angels. So count me out."

"Guess that leaves you and me, Chan." Said Felix.

"Right." Chris said. "I doubt that we can outrun it, even if your power is about speed."

"If I try hard enough, I might keep pace with it."

"Yeah! So then," Chris drew a curve in the air with a finger. "You're going to lead Brach..." His eyes shifted to Seungmin. "Yura?"

"Yep," Seungmin nodded. " _Brachyura'_. It's the crustacean infraorder that crabs belong to." The Kids laughed a bit.

"OK. So you lead Brachyura around the dome to the west," Chris drew in the air with is finger again. "And when you come to a wall, climb up using whatever you can—" He grabbed the air with either hand. "—And get on Brachyura."

"I'll run underneath or behind you, and when the crab comes to a wall, I'll try and swing up—" Chris swung his left arm down. "—Onto the crab with its legs. Then we'll pull off its legs," He _'squeezed'_ the air multiple times with his hands. "One by one. Eventually, it'll lose its balance, fall on its back," He flipped one hand open to show his palm "And then..." Chris paused, his eyes on Changbin. "Would he could call that cheating?"

Changbin raised his brows. "Oh, so you want me to deal the final blow with my scepter? Chan, that's so smart! But yeah," He peeked over Seungmin's head to see Minho. He didn't look his way. "He might. And then we'd be up against more demons. Or worse, more _giant_ ones."

"Don't jinx it, man." Seungmin whined.

"What if, after Changbin kills Brachyura," Said Chris. "We come running over? Minho's demon _obviously_ falls for temptation easily. Felix, you're going to run right past him, and that'll get him faced away from me so I can tackle him."

"Do you think you'll be strong enough to hold him down?" Asked Felix.

"I'll have to be. I wonder... if the demon isn't strong enough to fight with his fists, maybe that's why he uses a tool?"

"Seems like a valid reason." Seungmin said.

"Did the angels tell you how long they think it would take them to break the dome?"

"They said twenty minutes, since Minho's up and about."

"So if Minho can't do anything, do you think the angel's will suddenly break through?" Chris said. The others looked among themselves and at Chris with expressions of consideration and curiosity.

"You know what?" Hyunjin said. "That just might be our solution."

"It's still cheating." Changbin grimaced.

Chris raised his hands. "It's the only idea I've got. You with me?"

"Yeah, of course." Changbin nodded.

"Yeah." "Yeah!" The other boys chorused.

"OK, let's go." Chris said, then the boys broke up the circle. Noticing they weren't in a circle anymore, Minho trailed off his other sentence in Latin, said a little more to the angel, who bowed its head. 

Minho asked, "You ready, now?"

"Yeah, we're ready." Chris answered.

"Who did you choose?"

"Me and Felix."

"OK." Minho chimed. "Brachyura," He pointed to Chris and Felix. "Those two. Kill." 

The demon rushed forward at a terrifying pace, the ground trembling like God was unleashing a meteor shower onto the crater. Hyunjin, Seungmin and Changbin ducked so they wouldn't fall, and Felix and Chris sprinted southwards. Felix sprang over the pile of concrete and metal that he soon came in contact with. Chris took a sharp left around the same heap. Brachyura stepped around the other boys so closely that the wind whipped around them. Hyunjin flinched with a squeak because one leg slammed down in front of his face. One of the demon's swimming legs moved dangerously close between Changbin and Seungmin. Once it passed, they looked up to watch their friends race Brachyura to the south-facing wall. 

Hyunjin sighed and made himself sit. "Shit." Seungmin and Changbin chortled and guffawed and sat down with Hyunjin, who laughed at himself.


End file.
